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(No Model.) 7

R. R. BAKER.

ALBUM AND BOOK CLASP.

Patented June 5, 1883.

Fig. -1.

Witnesses.

Inventor:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANSOM n. BAKER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ALBUM AND BOOK CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,762, dated June 5, 1883. Application filed J annary 22, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RANSOM R. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Album and Book Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an adjustable album-clasp capable of holding the covers closely and securely together, or easily releasing them, as the thickness. of the album varies while being filled with pictures, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter shown by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a section through line Z Z, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a section through line X X, Fig. 1, and through a portion of an album to which it is connected. Fig. 3 is an inside face view of the tightening device; and Fig. 4 is an outside face view of the clasp attached to a portion of an album.

a a represent the two lids of an ordinary album. To one lid, a, is connected, by rivets a a metallic holding-plate, 00, provided with a hook-shaped piece, a. On the opposite lid, a, is securely fastened a holding-plate, a to which is hinged the front portion, b, of the tightening device b by a hinge, 12 The part b is provided with a thin plate, 12 rigidly fastened thereto, in which are two volute or curved openings, 0 0, adapted to receive the end of the hook. .The hinged plate 12 is provided with an opening, 0 through which the hook (6 passes when engaging with the plate I) in one or the other of the openings 0 c. The object of the radial opening 0 through the plate I) is to cause the device to work more smoothly and easily by preventing any lateral movement of the hook at, or the cover of the book to which it is attached, and consequently any cramping of the same while turning the device one way or the other. Furthermore, if this radial opening were not placed in the plate, as shown, the turning of the device either way would be liable to weaken the back of the book by moving or sliding the covers laterally back and forth one way and the other the opposite way while the device is being so operated. The device could be used with only one opening, 0 or a, but it would not be so convenient to operate. The part b is secured to the hinged plate 12 by a pin or rivet, c and a nut or other equivalent means, 0*. It is arranged so as to turn easily on the pin or rivet 0 to which it is rigidly fastened in any well-known way.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In opening the album the part b is turned around until it comes into the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the tightening device can be turned on its hinge b away fromthe hook a*, into the position shown by the dotted lines 0 and thereby allow the album to be opened. In closing the album and fastening it the tightening device is closed against the hook a and turned until one or the other of the openings 0 or c is inthe proper position for the hook to enter, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) after which it is turned until sufficiently tight to hold the covers and leaves of the album closely together. It will be readily seen that the openings 0 c are of such a form that by turning the part b in the direction of the arrow the hook atwill be drawn toward the center of the disk, and that consequently the leaves and cover of the album will be drawn together, and it will be further seen that a reverse movement will open or separate them and allow the device to be brought into the proper position to permit the hook a to be separated therefrom and the album opened. If desired, the periphery of the part b may be milled or otherwise roughened, so as to be more easily turned.

I do not claim, broadly, a volute slotted plate and a hook, as that alone, in itself considered, is not new, but

What I do claim is- An album or book clasp consisting of a disk provided with a plate having the volute openings c. c, rigidly secured to its inner side, and centrally pivoted to and adapted to rotate on a disk, b, the disk b being hinged to the plate a on one lid of the book, and provided with a radial opening, a", for the purposes specified,

"in combination with a hook secured to the plate on the other lid of the book, as and for the purposes described.

RANSOM R. BAKER.

WVitnesses:

J. M. CALDWELL, JAMES SANGSTER. 

